A Contest
by PenguinRegina
Summary: My take on how Fenris came to have the lyrium tattoos on his body. An origins story, if you will.
1. Chapter 1

As you all know all characters and settings belong to Bioware. They just let us play with them.

Chapter One

"You don't have to do this Leto" His sister beseeched him as he strode towards battle master. "Yes, I do Varania. Now be quiet and go back to mother before you are missed from your duties in the house. You know if you're late again, it will be a beating for you and mother both."

He turned to face his sister, staring into her identical green eyes, their mother's eyes. His own softened when he saw the concern in Varania's. "Why are you doing this? You're already one of the Master's prized guards. What have you to gain from winning this contest?" She pleaded with him. She was sure this was going to be her last chance to talk him out of this folly. But Leto was being his annoyingly obstinate self. He flattened his lips, and then raised an eyebrow.

"I have my reasons. Get back to the house now! I will not tell you again." He sighed and lowered his eyebrow, pushing a stray red lock behind Varania's pointed ear. "I will win this Varania. Believe in me, I will win this boon and become invaluable to Danarius. I will improve our lot." He allowed his high shoulders to drop infinitesimally. "I will win, Varania."

Varania was beginning to feel anxious about her extended absence from the house and was tallying how she would catch up on her work in the back of her mind, but she was terrified she would lose her big brother. Several years older and from a different father, Leto had been her protector and friend her whole life. He was her whole world. She pled with him one last time. "But what is it you'll win Leto? The master hasn't said what it is! What if it's one of his jokes?" She shuddered at the thought.

Magisters could do as they pleased with their slaves and Danarius certainly did. Leto shook his head. "I doubt that. He wouldn't waste his best warriors on a joke. On a wager perhaps, but not a joke. Go, I must speak to the battle master now." With that he strode away into the training grounds along with the other guards who had chosen to participate. Varania swallowed a sob and ran to the house.

Their mother was already busy cleaning the ladies quarters and getting the evening clothes prepared. They were ladies maids to Danarius' daughters and wife and tonight, as every night, were a formal dinner, with all the trappings and fashionable accoutrement that went with it. Danarius liked his women to look beautiful and expected them to look different every night, so each day was spent altering and rearranging gowns and accessories into fresh-yet fashionable looks. Then there was the cosmetics and hair styling for all the ladies. And last but not least, keeping the chambers spotlessly clean. Dinner was still a couple of hours away, so they were still tidying up and setting out the clothes for that evening. Her mother looked at her with a vague air of annoyance as she entered, but said nothing as Varania started to do her duties in the rooms. Varania sighed and began setting out three gowns per lady, so they might choose.

She looked at her mother and felt she would explode if she didn't say anything. Her mother and Leto could brood quietly about something eternally it seemed. "He's entering the contest. I couldn't stop him." She blurted.

Her mother glanced at her from under her fringe of dark hair, yet another trait shared between mother and son. Her mother sighed "He will do what he will. Once he has set his mind on something, Maker knows, there is no turning him from his purpose. What we must do is pray for him, dear." With that voluble speech, she turned back to organizing shoes and gave her back to her daughter.

Varania had never felt so completely alone in her life.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

That evening the house was abuzz with rumors about the contest the Magister had announced to his household two days before. He had promised a great prize to the winner of the contest along with a personal boon of the winner's choosing, anything the winner desired. It was a heady promise from a great mage like Danarius, who could quite literally make just about anything come true. The participants simply had to inform the battle master of their readiness and prepare for action. This was all the details they had been provided. When asked if slaves could participate Danarius had laughed uproariously and said "Most certainly! I want the strongest, fastest member of this household for this prize. What do I care if he or she is a slave?"

That evening they would announce the contestants and give them their first task after the meal. Varania was nearly vibrating from the excitement around her along with her own nervousness for Leto. She fantasized that the battle master had turned her brother away, finding some reason he couldn't participate. She knew that was beyond a long shot. Leto was a very skilled warrior and already a prized member of the household guards, even though he was so young.

Danarius began the meal quietly, once his household was assembled. Everyone followed all the protocols and niceties that a fine meal should observe. Varania felt like she was waiting for a glacier to pass by. Her mother's nearly imperturbable demeanor was slightly distracted and she seemed to be looking around a bit, fidgeting somewhat.

The evening dragged on and as the kitchen slaves brought up dessert it was only then that Danarius' steward stood up. At his word, a large group of men and women silently walked into the dining hall and stood perfectly quietly as those assembled looked on. Varania strained, looking for her brother. There, behind two large men and a very muscle-bound woman stood Leto, looking imperious and proud despite being one of the youngest contestants assembled. He looked straight ahead at the steward, not seeming to care about his mother and sister in the room. Now Varania noticed that the noise she was tuning out was actually the steward reading something about the contest; "-the best of the preliminary scrutiny. The contestant will precede tonight to the testing area where they will undergo a series of tasks that will prove their suitability for the prize and of course the boon!" At that, some of the assembled warriors cheered, but Leto's eyes simply flicked at his mother and sister briefly. He continued to stare at the steward, not daring to show his hand. His mother closed her eyes and lowered her head. Varania could tell her mother had started praying once she saw her son.

Danarius looked over the group, eyes lingering over some, his lip curling slightly at some and glossing disinterestedly over others. Leto, he looked up and down with a slight smile on his face. Leto remained impassive, giving no indication that he saw his master's interest. The grueling tests they had undergone that afternoon had been exhausting, however he knew that to win, he would have to be perfect. He could show no weakness or the others would cut him down. He was very clear that he wanted that prize, but more importantly, he desperately wanted the boon.

With the inspection and preliminaries out of the way, the contestants were filed out and marched towards the courtyard of the villa. Varania ached to know what was happening, but could only suffer in silence as she saw the back of her brother's head disappear out the doorway. She did not know it then, but it would be the last time she would see her brother as she had known him all her life.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

As the week progressed, contestants would be brought back to the villa, either grievously wounded or in non-descript canvas bags. Their mother had paid what little coin they had to one of the stable hands to inform them if Leto were to return, one way or another. Each day brought the torture of not knowing. By evening, all they knew was that he was still in the contest, but nothing else.

The ladies of Danarius' household were not informed of such grizzly things as the results of blood sport, but that didn't mean they didn't care for a particularly interesting or handsome contestant. Varania strained to hear any news about Leto, but he was never mentioned by name, although she heard an elf was making quite a showing of himself. She hoped it was him, even though at least a third of the contestants had been elves.

After what seemed like a thousand years, the week was up and a single cart was returning from the proving grounds, a few figures sitting silently within. They were cloaked and hooded; you couldn't tell one from another. All of them were hunched forward. An air of exhausted tension seemed to fill the cart. The household staff did everything in their power to see who was coming back. Varania was by the window, staring openly. As the came closer, one of them pushed his hood back. It was him! He looked older and very serious, all the laughter gone from his eyes. Varania leaned out the window and tried to catch his eye, but he quickly covered his head again.

Her heart strained in her chest! He was alive! He had survived the ordeal! She ran to her mother to tell her the news and her mother smiled her brilliant smiled brilliantly. "Oh thank the Maker Varania! He's safe! Oh Andraste, thank you for your mercy!" She hugged her daughter, wiped a tear from her eye and continued her sewing. Varania hummed a happy tune and helped her mother with the sewing and hoped she would see Leto again soon.

Leto was ushered into the villa along with the other four remaining contestants. All of them were battered, bruised and sleep deprived. His muscles had never ached so much. He felt as if he were carrying a golem on his shoulders.

The other survivors were twin human males, one a shield fighter, the other an archer; a young human woman who could do magic, and lastly a dwarf who carried an enormous, and very dangerous, hammer. Leto shifted his own two handed sword, the strap digging onto his neck. He would gladly set it down and rest for a month if such a thing could be imagined.

The five of them were unsure of what to say or do. They had understood there would be one winner, but they had been told that the contest was over. Leto was too tired to think about what any of it meant. They had been hounded, hunted and pitted against each other. He had lost count of how many men and women he had killed or injured to get here, but he desperately wanted the boon. His head swam when he thought of it. He had to win.

Danarius' steward walked into the hall they were standing in and the five contestants straightened. "You have all performed admirably! Magister Danarius is very impressed with you." The contestants glanced briefly at each other, the human twins grinning at each other. "Tonight you will be cleansed, fed and allowed rest. Tomorrow all will be revealed!" He gave them an insouciant smile and left.

As soon as he left, five house slaves filed in carrying fresh clothes and bathing supplies. He was so exhausted that he did not notice that Varania was among them until she touched his elbow in passing, her enormous green eyes fixated on him. A slave he barely knew was assisting him They brought bath tins and proceeded to strip and bathe the contestants right there. As this was being done to him, Leto lost himself in reverie. Varania assisted the mage girl, while trying to make contact with her brother. Leto was honestly too tired to try to talk to her. Tomorrow would surely be soon enough.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Leto felt bizarre, having someone wait on him, as he had done as a boy in the barracks. However, he was so exhausted that he didn't bother to fight it. Sitting in the tub as his skin was scrubbed and cleansed he became lost in memories.

'Pretty Little Leto' they had called him and ruffled his dark hair as he scampered to and fro as a child. He had begged to assist in the barracks. He didn't have the temperament for house duties, too impatient for many of the diplomatic tasks that would be expected of him. Any chance he had, he would watch the guards drill and practice. He learned to polish and maintain all the weapons. Sometimes one of the guards would catch his gaze and show him how to do a movement or drill. He picked up everything quickly. His natural ability did not go unnoticed and soon enough the battle master petitioned Danarius to change the boy's classification from house slave to guard.

His mother had swelled in pride. She had always insisted his father had been a Dalish hunter and so he must get his martial prowess from him. She said that's why his complexion was darker than hers and Varania's. He had no feelings for his unknown father. He was hardly the first or the last slave to not have a father. He was lucky to have had his mother so far. She had been born a house slave, with the gentle, meek disposition best suited for it. She was anxious of course, that guard duty would put him in danger, but she was delighted in his change of station. She knew how much it meant to him.

He had put all his efforts into being the best of the guards. He was the youngest and smallest. The other guards were older and mostly human. The other elves in the guard were duelists or archers, so naturally he was trained in these skills initially. He learned to use the twin blades and the bow and arrow proficiently. However, it was the two handed swords that called to him.

At the outset he looked ridiculous, pulling on swords nearly his height and a half and attempting to wield them. The other guardsmen had laughed and chided him, but he had continued to practice. Soon, his final growth spurt gave him the size and musculature necessary to wield the gigantic blades. He was as graceful with a two handed sword as the duelists were with their pretty daggers. He was ranked with the other swordsmen and he swelled with pride, the only elf among them. He knew he had to be better than them, so he trained tirelessly until the giant blade was like an extension of his own body. His body sang to him during swordplay.

By the time he was in his late teens, he was leading drills and teaching two handed technique to the other guards. The battle master noted his progress and recommended him for additional benefits and privileges. This meant better housing and breeding opportunities. However, he was reluctant to take either. He felt strange leaving the guard barracks and he was curious, if uncertain, about breeding. He had an uncomfortable feeling that he didn't want any child he procreated to be a slave, even if he would not be expected to do anything other than siring the child in question. He took his name from the breeding lists, one of the few things he was allowed to decide for himself.

He shook himself from his reverie, his bath nearly done. He shook his head at his fanciful notions. He had always felt a distinct reluctance to being a slave. It puzzled him, as it was the only life he'd ever known. A slave born from a slave, what other life did he know that he would yearn for?

The slave attending him dried his body. The exposure of his body in this room to the other contestants was not unlike the experience of living packed in the guard barracks, where privacy was a myth. It didn't bother him. The mage woman however was blushing furiously as Varania did her best to maintain some modesty for her charge. The twin giants smirked and joked with each other as the attending slaves tried to get them decent. The dwarf warrior had pushed the slave assigned to him aside and was completing his grooming himself. Leto raised the stoic dwarf another point in his esteem. Their armor and weapons had been retrieved and were being cleansed and mended. They were given soft cotton clothing, marked with Danarius' family seal above the left breast. Leto felt strange to be out of his accustomed armor and imagined the other contestants felt similarly exposed, more so than during their communal bath. Once they were all dressed they were led to a chamber where five beds had been laid out. Leto felt the disorientation again of being in his master's house, yet not being in his accustomed place. Varania's eyes lingered on him as she was ushered away, after escorting the lady mage to her bedding. He shook his head slightly. She sighed and followed the other slaves out. She seemed so hopeful to him. He was glad to have seen her and glad their mother's worries would be laid to rest. He looked at his unlikely roommates and sat on the bed he'd been ushered to, unsure of what protocol to follow. Social niceties had never been his forte.

The twin warriors took beds next to each other and jumped right in. They looked like giant puppies, rambunctious at play. The dwarf moved as far from the others as possible, dragging his bed to a corner after finding a block to use as a step to climb in. Danarius had provided them all identical beds, regardless of race or size. Leto found his bed uncomfortably soft, used to the slab-like bedding in the barracks. He took his mattress off the frame and placed it on the floor. Better. He shrugged and hoped it wouldn't make his already aching body more so. The lady mage seemed just as uncertain as he felt and gingerly climbed into the bed, as if expecting scorpions and vipers within. He conceded he felt a bit like that himself. His observations were interrupted by a sound like crashing thunder. He straightened and realized the warrior twins had already fallen asleep and the mighty sound was their combined snoring. He smirked to himself. Just like puppies indeed, play hard, sleep hard. The lady mage gave a wan smile and settled into her bed. The dwarf muttered a curse in dwarfish and threw an arm over his ear. Leto sank into his bedding and fell asleep almost immediately, despite the noise and uncomfortable setting. He was too weary to do otherwise.


End file.
